In the latest episode of the Pizza Story Podcast, host Erica D’Arcangelo sat down with a true titan of the industry: Chef Juan Robles. With a career spanning 24 years—16 of those dedicated specifically to pizza—Juan has transitioned from fine dining and corporate management to becoming the powerhouse Corporate Chef behind Los Angeles’ acclaimed Triple Beam Pizza.
What makes Juan’s story so compelling isn’t just his technical skill, but his ability to balance the “romanticism” of a brick oven with the cold, hard logistics of a multi-unit empire.
From Commissary to Community
Juan’s journey to Triple Beam wasn’t accidental. After a decade-long stint at Pitfire Pizza, where he rose to Corporate Chef, he brought his expertise to Triple Beam a year after its inception. Today, he oversees locations in Highland Park, Echo Park, Santa Monica, and Glendora, supported by a massive 7,000-square-foot commissary.
“It’s almost like driving a manual transmission vehicle,” Juan explains. “You need to know what levers to pull.” By producing the crusts (or Biancos), sauces, and pastries at the commissary, he ensures consistency across all shops. This also frees up the restaurant teams to focus on the final execution of roasting vegetables and making fresh sausage.
The Seasonal Menu: Listening to the Soil
If you visit Triple Beam, you’ll notice a 12-pizza menu. Ten of those are “concrete” favorites that customers are fiercely protective over. The remaining two or three slots? That’s where Juan’s creativity shines.
Juan curates these rotating specials by going straight to the source. “I’ll speak to the farmers to see what crops are doing really well,” he says. This farm-to-table approach leads to spectacular results, like his Heirloom Tomato Pizza.
The “Bug” of Competition
Despite his decades of experience, Juan only recently entered the world of competitive pizza making—and he did so with a bang. After his first competition at Pizza Expo in March, he quickly caught “the bug.”
He recently secured the Grand Championship at the California Milk Challenge in Anaheim, sporting a “nifty little belt” to prove it. But for Juan, competition isn’t just about the trophy; it’s about a platform. Just recently, he won a chef challenge that allowed him to donate $5,000 to Chirla, an organization supporting immigrant rights.
Logic vs. Romance: The Two Worlds of Pizza
When Erica asked about his favorite style, Juan admitted he is a man of two hearts.
- The Romantic: His first love is Neo-Neapolitan made in a wood-fired brick oven. “It’s very romantic because you can have the same ingredients, but the result depends on the pizzaiolo working the oven.”
- The Logistician: At Triple Beam, Juan works with Al Taglio style pizza at a staggering 94.5% hydration. Because consistency is key in a multi-unit business, he utilizes high-end conveyor ovens to ensure every slice is perfect, regardless of who is behind the counter.
Looking Ahead: The Sparkle in the Eye
While Juan remains dedicated to growing Triple Beam and supporting the people who work there, he has a clear milestone on the horizon: opening his own pizzeria. “Triple Beam was my last test to make sure I was prepared for the next big step,” Juan shares. He’s spent his time mastering the “whole cube”—not just the dough, but the accounting, the P&Ls, and the project management.
As Juan puts it, the pizza community is unique because of its lack of gatekeepers and its shared energy. Whether he’s blasting 80s hair metal during early morning R&D or making 800 free pizzas for those displaced by wildfires, Chef Juan Robles is a reminder that great pizza is made with equal parts precision and purpose.
Follow Triple Beam Pizza on Instagram @triplebeampizza
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